Ticketing

Development of Smart Cards

The introduction of smart cards facilitates payment for passengers and aids in the management of income for operators. Additionally, smart cards generate exact information concerning the travel habits of passengers, which allows customisation of public transport service. Smart cards can also be used for advanced pricing models, where the traveller is charged the cheapest price according to the length of the trip, the time of day or the number of journeys.

Example: The usage of smart cards in Stockholm allows quicker ticket inspection on buses and facilitates the introduction of new fares and types of tickets, which, as a result, encourages new travellers. In Brussels and Bremen, museum, theatre and other service tickets can also be loaded onto smart cards.

For more information:

Sustainable Urban Transport, Final report from the European project Trendsetter, pp. 15-16